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Team Reviews Domestic Violence Fatalities
Updated: 6:26 PM Dec 9, 2009
Team Reviews Domestic Violence Fatalities
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum has put together a team of people from across the state that will focus on a plan to help domestic violence victims before it's too late. Experts say domestic violence is surging...and they want to put a stop to it.
Posted: 6:12 PM Dec 9, 2009
Reporter: Lanetra Bennett
Email Address: lanetra.bennett@wctv.tv
Team Reviews Domestic Violence Fatalities The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says in 56 percent of domestic violence homicides in the state, the spouse or live-in partner was the victim.
Tallahassee resident Julie Owens is out on the street and jobless, after falling victim to domestic violence.
Owens said, "I had two children. My husband would come home and I could see immediately that he had a bad day. He'd start cursing and throwing things around and we all would hide. We shouldn't have to live that way, no one should have to live that way."
And no one should die that way.
Just this Monday, 36-year-old Terrell Robinson of Tallahassee was sentenced to life in prison after admitting to strangling his pregnant girlfriend Elisabeth Killam to death.
Last week Wakulla County deputies say 29-year-old Steven Stubbs shot his girlfriend Leslie Drew before turning the gun on himself.
Florida's Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team held its first meeting Wednesday to try to keep situations like these from happening again.
President and CEO of Florida's Coalition Against Domestic Violence Tiffany Carr said, "Florida's domestic violence centers have never been more overcapacity. The need has never been greater, the funding and resources, donations have never been less. So, it's all hand-in-hand with the increase in domestic violence homicides and it's absolutely devastating."
Officials say in 2007, 16 percent of homicides in Florida were domestic violence related.
The team is comprised victim advocates, law enforcement, medical professionals, members of the faith-based community and other consultants and officials.
Partners will review domestic violence homicides and near homicide cases to figure out how to better serve potential victims and stop tragedies before they happen.
Team members say signs of domestic violence include bruises, broken bones, hospitalizations, and partners who are very controlling. They say they've also found that damage to property can be indicative to domestic violence.
The team will meet four times next year, where partners will review cases, train and come up with a plan
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